IL Route 3 Waterloo

Welcome to the official site for the Illinois Route 3 improvement project in Waterloo, Illinois. Here you will find the latest project updates, public involvement opportunities, and project data.

Project Description

This project will study the improvement of Illinois Route 3 from Vandebrook Drive to North Market Street in Waterloo, Illinois, for a total project distance of approximately 4.3 miles. Alternatives will be developed and studied for improving the roadway.

The Illinois Department of Transportation is pleased to announce the IL Route 3 in Waterloo Project Report was completed and signed in June of 2012. If you would like to review the approved IL Route 3 Project Report text portion and plan/profile drawings of the project report, please click here. To view a full copy of the final report, please contact:

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is widening 3.5 miles of Illinois Route 3 from 2 lanes to 5 lanes in Waterloo, IL. The work is being performed under two contracts, Vandebrook Drive Relocation and IL 3 Widening. The first contract consists of the relocation of Vandebrook Drive. The second contract consists of the work associated with widening Illinois 3 from 2 to 5 lanes and the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Illinois Route 156 and Lakeview Drive.

The Vandebrook Drive relocation project is a $3.6 million dollar project that was on the January 18, 2013 letting. Construction began on July 8, 2013 and is expected to be completed by the winter of 2014.

The Illinois Route 3 Waterloo bypass lane addition project is a $17.6 million dollar project that was on the June 14, 2013 letting. The start of construction has not begun as utilities are currently being relocated. This project is expected to be completed by the fall of 2016.

Please see the Updates tab for periodic updates to the progress of the construction and to find out more information concerning contracts specifics. The Illinois Department of Transportation wishes to thank you for your support and patience.

Note: IDOT projects typically have three distinct phases. Phase I (or the project Study) consists of developing the project scope, environmental studies and preliminary design of a project. Phase II (Design) consists of refining the design to develop contract plans and land acquisition. Phase III (Construction) consists of the actual construction of the project.

Illinois Route 3 will be improved from Vandebrook Drive to North Market Street. Exactly what the improvements will entail will be determined during the Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) process and the Phase I study.

The concept of context sensitive solutions (CSS) has been evolving in the transportation industry since the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 required transportation agencies to address project stakeholders and consider the possible effects of transportation projects on the environment. It has since evolved into a policy in Illinois that provides an interdisciplinary approach to projects that seeks effective, multi-modal transportation solutions by working with stakeholders to develop, build, and maintain cost effective transportation facilities which fit into the project's surroundings - it's context. A stakeholder is someone who could be affected by the project and has a "stake" in the success or failure of the project. A Citizen Advisory Group, or CAG, will be formed for the project. The CAG is a group of stakeholders that provide input and response to ideas and focus the views, concerns, and values of the communities.

Crash History

A total of 348 crashes have occurred in the project area between 2003 and 2009 resulting in 92 crashes involving injuries. The majority of crashes are rear end, turning, and angle crashes occurring at the intersections. This may be attributed to a number of causes such as congestion, turn lanes that are too short, or the need for additional turn lanes among other things. A crash analysis will be performed as part of this project to determine what, if any, improvements can be made to reduce the potential of future crashes.

Project Development Process

Phase I is the preliminary engineering phase. During this phase, data collection, engineering and environmental analyses will be performed on the alternatives developed in order to select a preferred alternate. A project report is developed that documents this process. The land acquisition process will begin toward the end of this phase. This phase will take approximately 24 months.

Phase II is where plans, specifications, and estimates will be prepared so that the project can be placed on a letting for construction by a contractor. The plans will be prepared in accordance with the approved Phase I project report. Negotiation with property owners for the purchase of any needed right of way and easements will occur during this phase. This phase will take approximately 24 months.

Phase III is the actual construction of the project using the plans developed in Phase II. This phase will take approximately 24 to 36 months, depending on the type of improvement being constructed.

Funding Status

All engineering and construction is funded and included in the Department's FY 2012-2017 Highway Improvement Program.

Schedule

The project has progressed to construction (Phase III). Phase II consisted of an approximately 24-month period where detailed construction plans were developed. The negotiation and purchase of any needed right-of-way or easements took place during this phase. Phase II was completed in June 2013 with the advertisement for bids for the section of IL 3 from north of Vandebrook Drive to north of North Market Street. Construction began early 2014, after utilities were relocated to accommodate the widened pavement and shared use path. The construction currently has traffic shifted to the west so widening can be completed on the east side of IL 3. Traffic will remain in this pattern until near the end of project. The project, including the roundabout at IL 156 and Lakeview Drive, is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2016.

Announcements

04/04/16

The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced that IL 156/Park Street east of IL 3 in Waterloo will be closed beginning April 15, 2016, weather permitting.

Please click here for further information.

03/07/16

The Illinois Department of Transportation is pleased to announce the intersection work at IL Route 3 and Vanderbrook Road in Waterloo is completed. Work continues on the widening portion of IL Rt 3 and the roundabout on Il Rt 156 should begin the fall of 2016

6/11/12

The Illinois Department of Transportation is pleased to announce the IL Route 3 in Waterloo Project Report was completed and signed in June of 2012. If you would like to review the approved IL Route 3 Project Report text portion and plan/profile drawings of the project report, please click here.

1/23/12

The Illinois Department of Transportation will hold the fourth public informational meeting on Wednesday, February 8, 2012 from 4-7 p.m. at Waterloo High School.

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is widening 3.5 miles of Illinois Route 3 from 2 lanes to 5 lanes in Waterloo, IL. The work is being performed under two contracts, Vandebrook Drive Relocation and IL 3 Widening. The first contract consists of the relocation of Vandebrook Drive. The second contract consists of the work associated with widening Illinois 3 from 2 to 5 lanes and the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Illinois Route 156 and Lakeview Drive.

This site will be updated periodically as the project progresses. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) wishes to thank you for your support and patience.

Did You Know?

This project involves 4.3 miles of Illinois Route 3 roadway.

The northern limit of the project is North Market Street.

The southern limit of the project is Vandebrook Drive.

There are 21 side entrances, from driveways to intersections, that will be addressed in the project.

Surveying will be performed to ensure that any modifications to the roadway, side entrances, ditches, etc., are accurate.

The population of Waterloo has grown from 7,600 in 2000 to 9,800 in 2008. That's a 29 percent increase!

The Illinois Jobs Now! plan is expected to create and retain more than 439,000 jobs between now and 2015.

How many lanes will be added? The exact number of lanes to be added, if any, will be determined by the results of the engineering analysis of the alternates developed and concurrence by the stakeholders.

Will traffic signals be added where they don't currently exist? Each intersection will be analyzed for the need for traffic signals.

When will IDOT purchase right-of-way or easements? Right-of-way and easements, if required, will be purchased during Phase II, beginning after design approval, which is anticipated in Spring of 2012.

How can I find out about future public involvement activities? SUBSCRIBE LINK HERE to get on the project mailing list and receive the newsletter Visit the project website often for notices Watch local newspapers for announcements

Who is the Community Advisory Group (CAG) for the Illinois Route 3 project and what do they do? The CAG formed for the Illinois Route 3 project includes representatives from business focused groups, residents, the City or Waterloo, Monroe County, and other civic organizations with an interest in the Illinois Route 3 project. The CAG meets during the project development process to help the Project Study Group (PSG) by providing input on the issues that are important to the community and assisting the Project Study Group in developing alternatives. As of October 27, 2010 the Illinois Route 3 CAG had met two times. The CAG developed a problem statement to define the transportation problem on Illinois Route 3 in Waterloo, identified important features within the community to be preserved, recommended roadway sections for the Project Study Group to use to develop alternatives, and provided input on the alternatives. The CAG will continue to assist the Project Study Group with the development of alternatives to be presented to the public.

For more information about the Community Advisory Group please visit the Public Involvement page

What is a problem statement and what is the problem statement for the Illinois Route 3 project? A problem statement is a concise narrative, prepared at the start of a project to define the problem to be solved. The problem statement developed by the Community Advisory Group (CAG) for the Illinois Route 3 project is as follows:

“The transportation problem along IL Route 3 between Vandebrook Drive and North Market Street in Waterloo is poor intersection performance and traffic congestion throughout the corridor resulting in traffic delays and safety concerns for the users of the corridor.”